Every time we read the word of God or hear it proclaimed during the Divine Liturgy or other sacraments of the Church, Jesus enters our lives, just as he did when he entered Jerusalem. He enters our very essence, bringing the life of God into our being. He enters our humble homes, igniting our hearts with the fire of his love. He infuses every action we take with the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus, the Word of the Father, comes to us, inviting us to break free from the bondage of our material nature and embrace the communion of his divine life.
But we must accept our Lord if we want Him to perform this miracle. We must accept Him with blessing; our entire human nature must tremble, just as the city of Jerusalem did (Matthew 21.10) and as the earth did upon the resurrection of the Lord (Matthew 28.2), to welcome the Lord of heaven and earth into our humble abode.
Every time we hear the Gospel of the Lord or read it, we must rise and run to meet our marvelous Lord. We should not wait until He arrives at our place. As soon as we hear His voice in our hearts, we should leap for joy and delight in our faith in the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit in that voice. We should offer our human nature to our God so that He may transform us into His Body and Blood, giving us His own life.
We can live the Holy Week with our Lord Jesus. We can walk with Him daily to the Temple to hear His words and return to Bethany in the evening. We can cleanse our temple of anything that detaches us from being a dwelling place of the Word of God. We can sit at the table of His Supper, giving thanks and recounting the powerful memory of our salvation. Let us share how Jesus died for us until He returns. We can accompany Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane and stay with Him in prayer, so that the will of the Heavenly Father is fulfilled in our lives as well. Let us not flee when trials arise, discarding all our sacred principles like the dirt on our shoes. Instead, let us walk with our Lord on the path of the Cross, receiving the beatitude of those persecuted for His name. Let us join the prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali, extending our arms with the arms of our Lord on His cross, and let our feet be nailed to His feet. Let us die with Jesus, be buried with Him, and rise in His new life received in our Baptism.
With this new pilgrimage roadmap, let our Holy Week be a graceful moment of spiritual renewal. Even if our work schedule commitments prevent us from attending church daily to be with our Lord Jesus, we can remain connected to Him in spirit and mind. No one can hinder us from opening our souls and minds to the life-giving breeze of the Holy Spirit, guiding us to worship in spirit and truth.
